For education providers

Knight Review

Studying in Australia is the opportunity of a lifetime but there are conditions attached to your student visa. If you are thinking about changing your course, you must continue to meet the conditions of your student visa. Read our new student visa scenarios about changing courses.

Resources and events

Growing up on a dairy farm in Puerto Rico, Doraica always knew she wanted to be a veterinarian but never expected her skills to take her to Australia. Read her story about joining the Australian vet set.

Choosing Australia

Delivering Assistance

Janviere and her four children arrived in Australia in 2012 from a refugee camp in Nairobi. She wanted a better future, education and employment opportunities for them. Read her story about coming to Australia.

For education providers

For migration agents

German couple Christina and Johann came to Australia to learn English somewhere not too cold. They fell in love with Australia, decided to stay for longer and now have successful careers in Australia. Read their story about working in an engineering firm.

Citizenship

Careers

VEVO is a free online service that gives holders of Australian visas, employers and other registered organisations easy and quick access to visa entitlements and status information 24 hours a day.Watch video

Migrant with permanent residence

If you migrated to Australia, have permanent residence, satisfy the residential requirements and are of good character you may be eligible for citizenship.

All applicants, including children under 16 years of age must be permanent residents at the time of application and also at the time we make a decision on your application.

What is permanent residence?

Having permanent residence means you have a current visa that permits you to live in Australia indefinitely. There are many different type of visas that provide permanent residence for citizenship purposes. You can use the Visa Wizard to check the permanent residence status of your visa, or to find a visa of this type.

When does permanent residence start?

If you were granted a migrant visa offshore your permanent residence date is the date of your first arrival in Australia on this visa.

If you were granted a permanent residence visa onshore your permanent residence date is the date that visa was issued.

Are you a long term resident of Australia?

Being a long-term resident of Australia, or being eligible to vote or having served in the armed forces of Australia does not mean that you are an Australian citizen.

Long term residents will need to provide evidence of arrival in Australia. If you no longer have this evidence you can telephone the Citizenship Information Line for advice on how to prove your permanent residence status.

Are you a New Zealand citizen?

On arrival in Australia, most New Zealanders are automatically granted a Special Category Visa (SCV). This visa is a temporary visa which allows the holder to remain and work in Australia indefinitely but since 2001 does not provide permanent residence for citizenship purposes.See:New Zealand citizens living in Australia

Your Australian citizenship options

Migrants with permanent residence who satisfy the eligibility requirements apply for Australian citizenship by conferral. Children 15 years of age and under are usually included in the application of their responsible parent.

There are two categories of eligibility:

Form 1300t Australian citizenship - General eligibility for applicants aged 18 years and over and under 60 years of age.

Form 1290 Australian citizenship – Other situations for applicants aged under 18 years, applicants aged 60 years or over, or applicants in special circumstances.

Do you think you might already be an Australian citizen?

If you think you are an Australian citizen and you would like confirmation, please contact the Citizenship Information Line. Telephone 131 880 8.30 am to 4.30 pm Monday to Friday.

If you want written evidence of your Australian citizenship, you can apply for evidence of your citizenship. You will be asked to provide a range of documents that assist us to confirm your citizenship status.